As a parent helping your child maintain a healthy mouth is very important in the here and now. Cavities, gum health problems, and tooth loss in their early years can lead to more significant problems when they reach adulthood.

Fortunately, ingraining good oral hygiene products in your son or daughter’s early years can help reduce their chances of suffering from cavities and tooth loss with their primary teeth. It also increases their chances of continuing these practices when they are out on their own.

You can start brushing and flossing your child’s teeth, as they develop and emerge from their gums. As their manual dexterity improves they can start playing at brushing their teeth with a themed toothbrush and a child safe toothpaste that has been approved by the American Dental Association.

Your hands might be too large to reach the primary molars in the back of their mouth. Should this prove to be the case you can floss their teeth by wrapping the strand around your pinky. As your son or daughter grows and their dexterity improves they can start to floss their own teeth.

They might struggle at first with spooling the floss around the fingers and maintaining a firm grip. A simple floss stick is an easy to hold to help them get started. Just make sure they understand not to force the floss or snap it into their gums.

If you live in the Waco, Texas, area and you have questions or concerns about your child’s oral hygiene, you can call 254-870-8814 to speak with Dr. Susan Francis or a member of the staff at Bellmead Kids Dentistry.